1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of fluid systems, and to the particular field of emergency drain systems.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Sewer water backing up into a building can be a great disaster. The water can do serious damage and may require total remodeling if an area used for living is damaged. Sewer backup can be the result of a variety of causes, but whatever the cause, the results can be devastating.
Accordingly, the art includes several systems for controlling such backflow. For example, some system include a drain bowl fluidically connected to a utility sewage conduit. While helpful, a drain bowl may have a very small capacity. As such, overflow may be quickly transferred, via the drain bowl, into a larger area. Thus, even if the backup is only limited, the drain bowl may not have capacity sufficient to accommodate even a limited backup. As such, the drain bowls may have limited usefulness. However, since drain bowls are generally built into a floor, such drain bowls cannot be overly large.
Therefore, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which has capacity sufficient to accommodate large backflows.
Still further, even though many presently-installed backflow systems are inadequate for large backflow volumes, these systems still have some capacity and should be utilized whenever possible. This will not only permit utilizing the advantages associated with presently-installed systems, it will save money and time by avoiding the need to remove such installed systems to upgrade the capacity of an emergency backflow system.
Therefore, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which can utilize a backflow system existing in a building.
Still further, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which will work in conjunction with an existing backflow system in order to enhance the effects of both systems.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which has capacity sufficient to accommodate large backflows.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which can utilize a backflow system existing in a building.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which will work in conjunction with an existing backflow system.
These, and other, objects are achieved by an emergency backflow system which comprises a floor having a floor level located in a substantially horizontal plane; a utility sewer line which extends in a vertical plane through the floor; a drain line having a first end fluidically connected to the utility sewer line, a first portion located beneath the floor level, a second portion which extends in a vertical plane upwardly through the floor level, and an outlet end located above the floor level; a drain bowl located beneath the floor level; a first fluid conduit fluidically connecting the drain bowl to the drain line; a second fluid conduit which is oriented in a vertical plane and which extends vertically, the second fluid conduit including a first end fluidically connected to the drain bowl, a second end fluidically connected to the drain bowl, a floatable element located in the second fluid conduit and which is movable between the first end of the second fluid conduit and the second end of the second fluid conduit; a fluid holding tank supported on the floor above the floor level and which is fluidically connected to the outlet end of the drain line; and a vent fluid conduit fluidically connecting the holding tank to the utility drain.
The holding tank is thus fluidically inserted into the system and is capable of holding as much as thirty to fifty gallons or more of liquid. This holding tank thus holds overflow from the sewer line that might otherwise undesirably spill into a surrounding area, such as a residential basement. The flow control line between the drain bowl and the drain line allows the drain bowl to hold fluid in a normal manner, but will block off the drain bowl from overflow that is moving through the sewer line and from the sewer line to the drain line. Thus, fluid moving through the drain line will not spill upwardly into the drain bowl.
The emergency backflow system of the present invention is easily installed and can be easily retrofit into an existing system.